The present invention relates generally to image forming devices and more particularly to rollers that move media through image forming devices.
Printers, copiers, and other image forming devices include a variety of rollers/roller systems and transport belts to move media. Rollers/roller systems and transport belts move the media through the device, from initially grabbing the media from an input tray, moving the media past image forming units to apply loose toner to the media, fusing the loose toner to the media sheet, and outputting the media to an output tray of the image forming device.
Some exit roller systems include drive rollers that form a media-moving nip with idler rollers. When the drive rollers rotate, they cause the idler rollers to rotate in an opposite direction. As a result, media inserted between the drive rollers and the idler rollers moves through the exit roller system and into the output tray.
Typically, exit roller systems that employ drive and idler rollers include media kickers to prevent a trailing edge of the media from getting caught on a back edge of the output tray by kicking the trailing edge of the media down into the output tray. Some media kickers operate independently of the rollers of the exit roller system to kick the edge of the media into the output tray. Alternatively, some media kickers protrude from the idler roller to operate with the exit roller system to kick the edge of the media into the output tray.